Sir Ian Mckellen Campaigns for Paintings to Be Made Public

Sir Ian Mckellen is urging gallery bosses at London's famous Tate Britain to exhibit the institution's collection of paintings by revered British artist Ls Lowry.

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The British actor, Sir Ian McKellen is a passionate art lover and he is convinced Tate chiefs need to display a collection of works by the artist, famed for painting industrial Britain, which are currently kept in private at the gallery.

McKellen is adamant that if Tate officials don't plan to make the paintings available to the public, they should give them away to another gallery which will.

He says, "Why should it matter that the Tate Gallery in London (with its 23 Ls Lowry's) has chosen not to display any of them for many years?"

"His popularity needs no official endorsement from the Tate but it is a shame verging on the iniquitous that foreign visitors to London shouldn't have access to the painter English people like more than most others..."

"If the Tate feels no responsibility to give the art-viewing public their favourite painters to view, perhaps they could let their stash go elsewhere, pass them on to a gallery like The Ls Lowry (in Salford, north England), who share their visitors' tastes."

McKellen feels so passionate about the subject he has made a TV documentary, called "Looking for Ls Lowry", which will be broadcast in the U.K. on Sunday, April 24. It is set to feature an unlikely contributor - former Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher.